


Fever

by LittleSpider



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: BDSM mention, Bubonic Plague, Cute ghouls, Fever, Jesus Christ how many times did I mention the word sister in this?, Other, Sickfic, Sister impersonator mother figure, all the sweating, little ball of sin, sweating, sweet ghouls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 06:07:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14994464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSpider/pseuds/LittleSpider
Summary: Papa Nihil's pre-sleep ritual is disturbed by the inconsiderate Cardinal Copia who happened to get sick...Sister Imperator has a soft spot for the Cardinal.





	Fever

**Author's Note:**

> This is intended as a one shot, but I may continue it. Idk.

 

Papa Nihil was taking his evening sherry and listening to Sister Imperator give him an update on the recent renovation of the sacrificial amphitheatre in Stockholm.

In all honesty, he had only invited her in to help him nod off to sleep. Her tones washed over him like the sea over smooth pebbles now and the sherry was making him nice and drowsy.

“...brand new sacrificial altar, crafted from finest alabaster will be ready for it's first sacrifice any day now, Papa.”

“Yeees...” he nodded. The warmth of the fire, the scent of frankincense on her clothes, the warmth of the sherry. Not much longer and he'd be fast asleep.

“...not to mention the pit for the ghoul musicians, not that they deserve it. They're lapse in their work, Papa. The only sin they are committing these days is pride, wallowing in the egotism of the public eye. I wouldn't mind if they occasionally flaunted their fame to get away with murder but--”

“ _Seester_...” he rumbled quietly, the soft tones taking a chiding turn and becoming discordant. “Perhaps something less preachy.”

“Of course Papa.” she continued but as she prepared to speak, there was an urgent rapping at the door.

Both Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator stared at the door, wondering who was disturbing him at this late hour.

They looked at one another, his expression curious, hers disapproving.

“Enter!” Papa beckoned, putting his sherry down to greet his late night guest.

At once, one of the younger sisters came in. Pretty. Blonde, blue eyed. Fresh skinned.

At once, Papa made a murmur of appreciation, looking to Sister.

“ _Seester_ , you are spoiling me.” he grinned.

“I did not organise for you to be _sated_ this evening, Papa.” she replied and faced the younger sister.

“What is it, sister?” she asked.

“Sister...” she said, bobbing slightly in curtsey, then turning to Papa Nihil and curtseying more deeply in reverence. “Your unholiness.”

She stood again.

“Cardinal Copia...” she began. “...He is unwell. Quite unwell. I fear we may need to request the services of a physician.”

“Nonsense.” Papa muttered, seizing his sherry again. “The boy has probably been bitten by one of those rats of his.”

Sister Imperator clucked reprovingly at the older man.

“What ails him?” she asked.

“A fever, Sister.” the younger woman replied. “Quite a bad one.”

“Where is he?”

“He's in his chambers, sister.”

Sister Imperator looked to Papa Nihil and shook her head.

“I will see to him, if you would excuse me, Papa?” she asked.

“You may go, Seester.” he said, dismissing her with a flick of his hand. “But you... _younger_...seester, may stay...” he grinned lasciviously.

The younger sister did not seem overjoyed at this, but curtseyed briefly before moving to him and getting to her knees in preparation to service his eminence.

 

Sister Imperator was on her way to the Cardinal's chambers when she saw a gaggle of ghouls all peering over one another to see into the set of rooms eagerly. They seemed oddly agitated.

“All of you, move!” she ordered.

They seemed to flinch at her voice and withdrew slightly from the door but stayed close enough to observe what was going on within.

Immediately, the groaning coming from the Cardinal's bedchamber was audible, only punctuated by two other sisters, older than the young novice they had sent to her who were attempting to disrobe him under feeble protest from Copia.

She stood at the foot of his bed and watched as the usually pale Copia was now flushed with fever, sweating, groaning, his make up running away from his eyes.

“...what in _Lucifer's_ name happened?”

The sister who was tugging at the _Fascia_ at his waist gave up as Copia wriggled around like a snake.

“We found him collapsed in the library, Sister.” she explained. “I was in there looking for the original copy of _Malleus Malificarum_ and I found him at his desk collapsed. He's burning up, I think it's some form of infection.”

At once Sister Imperator decided what must be done.

“You, go and get me a wash cloth and some cool water.” she ordered. “And you, set a fire, I want it as hot as a furnace in here.”

The sisters both curtseyed and left to do their duties.

Sister Imperator watched the man she'd watched grow from an awkward teenager into something more, pathetically writhing under the effects of some sickness.

“Copia...” she called to him, leaning forwards.

Copia's eyes opened briefly, a flash of white amidst the pale skin and black sweat.

“... _Seester_...” he muttered. “...Seester...I am in hell.”

Sister laughed, not unkindly.

“Unfortunately not, child. You are unwell, that is all.”

“Ohh.” he moaned, brushing his hand weakly through his wet hair, the _Biretta_ being forced off onto the pillow.

“I am going to ensure you heal sufficiently. I will not allow you to disappoint this church. Do you understand?”

“Yes, seester.”

“We are going to sweat the fever out of you. Purge you of this illness and when you are cured, you can continue with converting the people of this world to the true way.”

“Yes...seester.” he groaned, his gloved fingers unpopping the buttons of his collar to get a little more air.

She moved to assist him, unbuttoning his cassock revealing the black under shirt within.

He pushed her hand away, black leather on her aged skin.

“...No.”

“No?” she asked. “Silly child, I have watched you grow from child to man. I have washed your back and tended your wounds before. Do not be ashamed of your flesh.”

He shook his head.

“It is not my flesh, I am wary of baring to you, Seester.” he replied faintly. “It is the marks of my _sins_.” There was some depravity that even Papa would not approve of.

Curious, the sister peeled away the fabric of his soaking under-shirt and seeing the faint red welts, bite marks and scratches knew that his sin was of sadomasochism.

Her pride for him intensified. 

She tenderly caressed his hair as he bit down on his lower lip, ashamed.

“...Shh, child. Pain is a teacher, is it not?”

Just then the sister returned with the water and wash cloth. She kept her eyes down, avoiding looking at the Cardinal.

“Wash him.” Sister Imperator ordered.

The shame was too much for Copia and he closed his eyes, sinking into a delirious rest.

The younger sister knew what the welts and marks were, but knowing her place, said nothing. The Cardinal had walked around with _Papa III'_ s head under his arm for a full week before the scent of rotting flesh became too much even for him and she did not want to be his next accessory.

Running the wet cloth across his skin, down his limbs, removing the sweat as best she could.

“Where is that other silly woman?” Sister Imperator clucked as she supervised. “...Ensure you bathe his head. I am going to go and find her.”

As she left, she found the woman carrying a bundle of firewood, the two female ghouls that were acolytes of the clergy and attendants of the Cardinal stroking her hair and whispering into her ears.

She looked as though she wouldn't be much use tonight by the look of her face.

The sister took the firewood from her.

“Snap out of it sister.”

The woman blinked a few times and scurried into the room to prepare the fire.

Sister Imperator looked to the ghouls, all of which were gazing to the room. Their movements almost kitten like, with the predatory aura of a tiger.

“...He is unwell.” she explained. “You may remain, or you may retire, but he will not be joining you this evening.”

Moving back in, the cardinal was almost completely naked save for a pair of black silk boxers which preserved very little modesty.

The sister had began the fire and was busily trying to maintain it and build it up to a good heat.

The sister who had bathed him stood, the bowl of water now milky and the cloth discarded with the hint of blood from disturbed wounds.

“...Sister, might it be... _the black death_...?” she whispered.

Sister Imperator looked at her, her brow furrowing.

“Have you lost what little sense you have?”

The sister tending the fire looked over, a little shyly.

“...They call him the _plague harbinger_.” she admitted, getting to her feet with the poker. “...Is it the black death?”

Sister Imperator shook her head and took the poker from her colleague.

“Both of you are embarrassingly gullible. Go, before I send you to help the novice.”

The sisters needed no further threat and left urgently as the door closed behind them.

The oldest Sister then turned back to the Cardinal and prepared for a long evening watching over what she hoped would be the future Papa.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into Ghost-fic. I'm sorry if it sucks, I'm still learning.


End file.
